The Influence of Gender and Ethnicity on the Use of ICT in Higher Education A Case of Arts and Social Sciences Students in Universiti Malaya

The Influence of Gender and Ethnicity on the use of ICT in Higher Education A Case of Arts and Social Sciences Students in Universiti Malaya A thesis presented to the faculty of the Center for International Studies of Ohio University In partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree Master of Arts Animesh S. Rathore November 2008 © 2008 Animesh S. Rathore. All Rights Reserved. 2 This thesis titled The Influence of Gender and Ethnicity on the use of ICT in Higher Education A Case of Arts and Social Sciences Students in Universiti Malaya by ANIMESH S. RATHORE has been approved for the Center for International Studies by Drew O. McDaniel Professor, School of Media Arts & Studies Gene Ammarell Director, Southeast Asian Studies Daniel Weiner Executive Director, Center for International Studies 3 ABSTRACT RATHORE, ANIMESH S., M.A., November 2008, Southeast Asian Studies The Influence of Gender and Ethnicity on the use of ICT in Higher Education A Case of Arts and Social Sciences Students in Universiti Malaya (125 pp.) Director of Thesis: Drew O. McDaniel While most studies on ICT use among students have typically focused on students in the field of science and technology, this study focuses on a group that has seldom been studied for its ICT use—students in Arts and Social Sciences. Based on a survey of 32 students conducted at the Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences at Universiti Malaya during December 2006, this study examines the relationships among gender, ethnicity, and students’ ICT use. The findings of this study suggest that the female students spent significantly more time using ICT for study purposes than males. The interviews with faculty members revealed that female students spent more time on studies and were less likely to cheat or plagiarize. However, the study found no such difference between Bumiputra and non-Bumiputra students. Approved: _____________________________________________________________ Drew O. McDaniel Professor, School of Media Arts & Studies 4 ACKNOWLEDGMENTS I still remember the summer of 1991, when my mother took a major decision to go back to school after a gap of 25 years. Her determination was so strong that despite some resistance from my brothers and relatives, she pursued her degree in education and started working as a primary school teacher at the same school in India where my father had served as a principal for eight years before his demise in January 1991. If it was not for the hard work my mother had put in raising my sister and myself, I would certainly not be able to pursue the academic career I have now. My mother’s sacrifices and determination to keep standing in a conventionally patriarchal society has always motivated me to study gender development across the developing world. I owe almost everything I have today to her dedication and perseverance. I sincerely wish to thank all those who extended help and support in different ways and made it possible for me to complete this thesis. I am grateful to the Center for International Studies at Ohio University for allowing me to pursue my research interest in Malaysia and awarding me the prestigious Southeast Asian Studies Research Travel Grant that enabled me to travel to Malaysia for my fieldwork. I am thankful to the International Institute of Public Policy and Management (INPUMA) at Universiti Malaya for accepting me as a visiting scholar and providing the necessary support during the data collection. I am also thankful to the Institutional Review Board at Ohio University for being so prompt in approving my research plan and subsequent revisions. Personally, I wish to thank Dr. Sharifah M. Alhabshi (Deputy Director, INPUMA), Mr. Hirman Awang (Asst. Registrar, INPUMA), Ms. Vigneshree King (Asst. 5 Registrar, Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences) and other administrative staff at Universiti Malaya. Among the faculty members, I would like to thank Dr. Joseph M. Fernando (History), Dr. Shanthi Thambiah (Gender Studies), Dr. Carol E. Leon (English), Dr. Lim Chee Seng (English), and Mr. Thirunaukarasu Subramaniam (South East Asian Studies) for sharing their valuable insights with me. At Ohio University, I would like to thank Prof. Mohamad Abu Bakar (the 2005- 07 Tun Abdul Razak Chair from Department of International and Strategic Studies, Universiti Malaya), Dr. Gene Ammarell (Director, Southeast Asian Studies), Dr. Liren Zheng (Curator and Bibliographer, Chinese Studies, Cornell University Library), and especially Dr. Haley Duschinski (Sociology and Anthropology) for their useful inputs and encouragement at different times. I am thankful to Ms. Karla Schneider and the other staff at the Center for International Studies for always being so supportive. I am also thankful to my family and all my friends and colleagues at Ohio who helped me at several occasions in different ways. Finally, I would like to express my sincere gratitude towards my advisor Dr. Drew McDaniel (Media Arts and Studies) for being an immense source of inspiration, valuable guidance, constructive criticism, as well as unconditional support at the right times during the course of this thesis. 6 TABLE OF CONTENTS Page Abstract 3 Acknowledgments 4 List of Tables 9 List of Figures 10 Chapter 1: Introduction 11 Aim 21 Research Questions 21 Chapter 2: Review of Literature 23 ICT, Gender, and Ethnicity in Higher Education 23 ICT, Gender, Ethnicity, and Higher Education in Malaysia 32 Summary 41 Chapter 3: Malaysia: A Background 43 Demography 43 Ethnic Groups in Malaysia 43 The Malays 44 The Chinese 45 The Indians 48 Ethnic Integration and Politics in Malaysia 51 The New Economic Policy 55 Malaysia’s Technological Growth 60 7 Gender and Development in Malaysian Context 63 Women in Colonial Economy 64 Gender across Ethnic Groups 66 Women and Politics 66 Women in the New Economy 68 Gender Development in Malaysia: Key Challenges 70 Summary 71 Chapter 4: Research Methodology 73 Method 74 Proxies 74 Survey Tool 75 Sampling 79 About Universiti Malaya 81 About the Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences 82 PTM: Centre for IT 83 Analysis 83 Summary 84 Chapter 5: Research Findings 85 Testing the Hypotheses 85 Other Findings 91 Chapter 6: Discussion And Conclusions 99 Discussion 99 8 Conclusion 107 Limitations & Recommendations 110 References 111 Appendix A: Questionnaire 122 9 LIST OF TABLES Page Table 1: Mean of total weekly hours spent on computer (including Internet) for studies by ethnicity 86 Table 2: Mean of total weekly hours spent on computer (including Internet) for studies by gender 86 Table 3: Mean of total weekly hours spent on studies by gender 86 Table 4: Mean of total weekly hours spent on studies by ethnicity 88 Table 5: Computer access at home across Bumiputra and non-Bumiputra students 88 Table 6: Computer access at home across female and male students 88 Table 7: Self-reported level of computer use across Bumiputra and non- Bumiputra students 90 Table 8: Self-reported level of Computer Use across female and male students 90 Table 9: Willingness to spend on ICT across Bumiputra and non-Bumiputra students 92 Table 10: Willingness to spend on ICT across female and male students 92 Table 11: Difficulty in computer access across Bumiputra and non-Bumiputra students 92 Table 12: Difficulty in computer access across female and male students 93 Table 13: Difficulty in using computer across Bumiputra and non-Bumiputra students 93 Table 14: Difficulty in using computer across female and male students 94 10 LIST OF FIGURES Page Figure 1: The MSC Malaysia Vision 62 Figure 2: Opinion on computer being helpful in studies (by ethnicity) 95 Figure 3: Opinion on computer being helpful in studies (by gender) 95 Figure 4: Opinion on computer often being a cause of frustration (by ethnicity) 96 Figure 5: Opinion on computer often being a cause of frustration (by gender) 96 Figure 6: Opinion on Internet often being a cause of frustration (by ethnicity) 97 Figure 7: Opinion on Internet often being a cause of frustration (by gender) 97 Figure 8: Opinion on Internet being helpful in academic work (by ethnicity) 98 [...]... develop an understanding of the influence of gender and ethnicity on the use of ICT among the students in the Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences in Univerisiti Malaya in Kuala Lumpur the capital of Malaysia Research Questions The general aim of this study as well as a review of available literature presented in the next chapter led me to the following specific research questions in the context of Arts and. .. East India Company in the Southeast Asian region including Penang, Melaka, modern day Singapore, and the islands of Dinding and Province Wellesley) and the increased demands for labor on rubber plantations as well as tin mines during the colonial era (between the nineteenth and mid-twentieth centuries) Also, there were “push” factors within China and “pull” factors within Malaya that encouraged many... level Arts and Social Sciences students in the year 2006 Likewise, I would argue that Kamogawa’s (2003) study that focused on technical education and showed low female participation was perhaps only reflective of the fact that the participation of female students in technical education was low, and not that the female students overall were not making use of the available technology in their education. .. However, there seemed to be a considerable amount of research done on the use of ICT in education as far as some of the developed countries were concerned For instance, Collis & van der Wende (2002) conducted an international comparative study on the institutional use of ICT in higher education across Australia, Finland, Germany, Netherlands, Norway, UK, and the US The survey included decision-makers, instructors,... as well as non-Bumiputra, including Chinese and Indians) as well as in terms of male and female users The analysis of results would then give a clearer picture of how the government policies and programs eventually translate at the ground In other words, this would help understand the case of students at an Arts and Social Sciences faculty in terms of their background and ICT use This study had been... examines available literature pertaining to the issue of ICT, gender and ethnicity in higher education in the Malaysian setting ICT, Gender, and Ethnicity in Higher Education While Oliver (2002) observed that the inclusion and dissemination of ICT in the field of education was less when compared to other fields, this trend was apparent across the developing as well as the developed countries as well... had been to promote the use of ICTs in education at various levels For instance, at the institutions of primary education, an effort called “Smart School” had been initiated (MSC, 2007) Similarly, it was apparent that the 18 institutes of higher (especially technical) education had also been receiving growing attention, and ICTs were becoming an integral part of the higher education system in Malaysia... to have a single approach towards implementing ICT in higher education across distinct fields, such as Medicine and Classics And the impracticality of such uniform approach may have led to overall less penetration of ICT in the education and learning sector Interestingly, though, the determination in deploying ICT in higher education is evident especially in newly established institutes As according... poor quality of education, migration or brain-drain, increasing number of higher education aspirants, conventional education system’s incompatibility with market needs, low government investment on education, traditional style of teaching, and scores mattered more than students individual preferences The Syrian plan on ICT in higher education identified ICTs as helpful in several ways, especially in terms... inclusiveness of educational tools towards the end, the authors accepted that it concerned only the content and not the context of its use They also pointed out that it was important to look at ICT applications while they were actually being used (Heemskerk et al, 2005) ICT, Gender, Ethnicity, and Higher Education in Malaysia Malaysia was one of the few countries to take an early advantage from the developments . The Influence of Gender and Ethnicity on the use of ICT in Higher Education A Case of Arts and Social Sciences Students in Universiti Malaya A thesis presented to the faculty of. Influence of Gender and Ethnicity on the use of ICT in Higher Education A Case of Arts and Social Sciences Students in Universiti Malaya (125 pp.) Director of Thesis: Drew O. McDaniel While. technical education and showed low female participation was perhaps only reflective of the fact that the participation of female students in technical education was low, and not that the female students